I got up begrudgingly at 4am to make sure that everything was in place before leaving at 5:15am to drive the 45 min to the airport to catch our flight at 7am. Or that’s how it was supposed to go…
We made it to the air port, boarded the plane and then the captain comes over the intercom. There are apparently loose bolts on a housing on one of the engines. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to fly in a plain with loose bolts, but the repair took 15 min and the paper work took the rest of the hour. So we left at 8am instead of 7am.
By the time we got to our layover, the connection was long gone and it was three hours till the next flight. If you’ve ever killed time in an air port you understand the dread the momentarily filled my heart. But being relatively seasoned travelers we were prepared with our own personal entertainment and the book that we are reading together.
All well and good. About 45 min before the boarding of this second flight we go down to the gate and get some interesting news. My husband is confirmed for this flight but I am on stand by. She says there is a good chance I can get on as I am #1 on the stand by list. About 15 min later she calls my name to inform me that a “Gold and silver member” have joined the stand by list and I am now #3 and it is highly unlikely that I will be able to make the flight. She also says that all the flights are full so my husband so go on this one and me on the next one, which I am confirmed for.
So that’s what we do. I watch my sweetie leave at 3:40 pm and my flight wasn’t until 6:30pm. I walked around a bit, got a gelato, read my book. In fact I finished the book while waiting. The plain got delayed. At this point I was wondering if I would have to spend the night in the air port.
An hour later (7:50pm) my plain finally arrives. With what little energy I have, I haul myself over to the gate counter and present my twice changed ticket and the computer makes a noise, not a good one either. The screen flashes red and the gate agent holds me there for a moment, after a quick check I am allowed to go through. I drop my bag beside a small prop-winged plain and gladly board.
As I walk to my seat I notice something strange, there is someone already in it. After a brief question I realize the we have been assigned the same seat. “This can’t be happening” I think to my myself. I call the flight attendant and she puts me in a different set. I keep thinking, “let me stay on the plain, let me stay on the plain.” A gate agent comes over and checks both of our ticket stubs. I guess this is the final okay because he walks away and I am allowed to stay in my confiscated seat.
Finally I arrive at my destination at 9:15 pm, nine hours after I was supposed to get there. My sweet husband smiling on the other side of the gate waiting for me. I had just enough energy to get back to our hotel scrub my face and go to sleep.
But I did learn a few things:
1-Never travel without a book or other form of personal entertainment.
2-Realize that the airport people are doing all that they can and are not out to get you. (this will help your stress levels if nothing less.)
3-Get up and walk around.
4-Take advantage to the people around you, they are full of stories and are sitting there board just like you.
So on to a new day. Its house hunting, I’m sue I’ll have lots of good things to write tomorrow.
Amanda Schwab 